Sun, 5/20.  Trying to upload a few pictures.

International Mountain Museum.  Too much to see in the time allotted.  Building is repurposed from a warehouse(?).  Cavernous.  I could have spent days in the place.  Bought “Into Thin Air”, apparently a nonfiction book about how not to climb mountains.

Tibetan refugee camp.  They make carpets of questionable quality (when compared to Morocco, etc.).  Low prices.  They’ve been in Nepal since the 50s, yet are still people without a country.  They don’t want to return to Tibet and China wouldn’t let them in anyway.  Nepal won’t give them citizenship.  What a stubborn world.  The same situation exists with Nepalese in Bhutan (there since the 1920s!), though the Bhutan king seems to be bending a little.

We did the boat ride.  A party boat with foot-powered paddle wheels.  I was too large and inflexible to paddle much.  Boring.

After lunch I rested.  Bought a simple watch for tomorrow’s river rafting.  

Dinner was at a local home.  The 13-year-old spoke the best English, but he kept popping over to the uncle’s house, who was also hosting some of us.  Apparently they were more fun.  The 17 year-old, whose English was heavily accented, supports the outlawed but still prevalent caste system (they are in the highest caste, so . . .).  Wants to be a banker.  Dinner was pretty much what we’ve been served all week, so I have to believe they were told what to serve.  Yogurt (dessert) is liquid, which I’m beginning to prefer.  All in all, it seemed to me that they host foreigners just for the extra income (they are paid).  They father was distant.  The house was unprepared for guests.  Went to the same bar as last night.  New band.  “I Want to Hold Your Hand”.  Great guitar, very questionable vocals.  Delicious apple pie.

Out of touch until Wednesday. Rafting.  I think everyone in the group has done rafting somewhere in the world before.  We don’t expect much rapids, being the wrong time of year for high water.  I’m not very excited.  It’s going to be hot and humid, with bugs.  Limited showers and questionable water quality at the two day overnight spot.